Carney, premiers must see through climate change-denial smoke
More than 350 years after the discovery of gravity, nearly 150 years since Thomas Edison fired up a light bulb and close to a century after a Scottish bacteriologist's accidental observation of penicillin's superpower, scientists are being forced to come to the defence of science itself.
This past weekend, representatives of the leading science academies from G7 nations released something called the 'Ottawa Declaration of the Science Academies of the G7,' a one-page document that serves as a prelude to a summit meeting to be held later this month in Alberta. This gathering is being hosted by the Royal Society of Canada, a non-partisan, non-governmental organization that advises the federal government on policies impacting science, academics and the arts.
'Especially in times of uncertainty, it is essential that our Academies commit to strengthening our efforts in defence of the integrity of science and the science advice systems that are critical elements of free and democratic societies,' Royal Society president Dr. Alain-G. Gagnon said in a news release accompanying the declaration.
Why would these non-partisan scientific organizations feel the need to defend science? In large part because the government of the United States, the nation that invests the most money in scientific research and development, has launched an all-out war on science and scientists.
With little more than the stroke of a pen, U.S. President Donald Trump has cancelled research projects, eliminated funding for research and for the institutions of higher learning that conduct the scientific exploration.
Meanwhile, Trump has put the Department of Health and Human Services into the hands of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a self-described skeptic of long-established, evidence-based medicine who has not met an unfounded health conspiracy theory that he could not embrace. Recently, Kennedy announced intentions to stop federally funded scientists from publishing in peer-review journals.
At the same time, the Trump administration has waged an equally furious war against climate science, eliminating programs to promote clean-energy generation, rolling back subsidies to help the automotive industry transition into EVs and cutting funding for climate research.
Given the important role that the U.S. plays in global science, Trump's decisions have triggered shock waves that are undermining science all over the world.
What is most frustrating is the fact that the war on science is so counter-intuitive.
Right now, there are millions of people questioning the efficacy of vaccines, even though they have been protected from fatal diseases for most of their adult lives. Fights continue to erupt over whether to wear masks in public to slow the spread of airborne viruses, even though most of us would never allow a surgeon to operate on us without a mask. We question whether carbon is ruining our climate even as we head into what experts believe will be the warmest year on record.
The war on science is a pandemic of irrationality, fuelled by ignorance and sustained by misinformation. It's also highly contagious.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith leads the war on science — particularly climate science — in this country. Smith has never explicitly denied that climate change is real, but her actions demonstrate her contempt for the idea that burning fossil fuel is ruining the planet.
When asked last summer about the devastating wildfires that ravaged the tourist mecca of Jasper, Smith blamed 'arsonists' and not the drought and extreme heat brought on by climate change. Meanwhile, she has pursued a range of policy demands that clearly show she does not believe climate change is an existential threat.
She wants guaranteed access to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts for her province's oil and gas, elimination of carbon emission caps and the abandonment of net-zero requirements for new power generation.
Like most oil and gas advocates, Smith canters ahead with policies to sell and burn more fossil fuels without any consideration of the net cost.
There is no doubt that Alberta's government would become much wealthier if it were easier to get the province's oil and gas to more markets. It's also equally true that, at the same time, Alberta would incur considerably more costs to deal with the carnage of floods and fires that are directly caused by climate change.
More worrisome is the fact that Prime Minister Mark Carney's government may be willing to give in to some of Smith's demands in a futile effort to cultivate more political support in Alberta.
Tuesdays
A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world.
Monday's first ministers meeting in Saskatoon included discussions on fast-tracking infrastructure projects of national significance. The list of projects has not been publicly released, but there is little doubt that new pipelines are the main priorities for provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Carney is faced with a choice: accept the science and growing anecdotal evidence of the impact of climate change; or join Smith in kicking the climate-change can down the road until we can no longer see it through the smoke.
When it comes to energy infrastructure, there is no sane argument for investing now in anything that is not zero-emission, or that helps connect the electricity grid in Canada so provinces can help each other meet their power needs.
As the authors of the Ottawa declaration in the defence of science have made abundantly clear, to do anything else would be indefensible.
dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Dan LettColumnist
Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan.
Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley plans to run for Senate in North Carolina, with Trump's backing
Michael Whatley, chairman of the national Republican Party, plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina in 2026, with the blessing of President Donald Trump. Democrats see the race as their top chance to flip a seat in the midterm elections as they try to regain control of the Senate. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, after clashing with Trump, recently announced he would not run for a third term. Whatley's decision was confirmed by two people familiar with his thinking. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before an official announcement and spoke only on condition of anonymity. Trump asked Whatley, who leads the Republican National Committee, to run, according to one of the people. Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, had been mulling a campaign. She served as co-chair of the RNC last year and currently hosts a show on Fox News Channel. But also lives in Florida and would have had to move back, with a young family, to her home state if she were to run. She had previously declined to run for Senate in North Carolina in 2022 and in 2024 took herself out of the running to fill the term of former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio after he became Donald Trump's secretary of state. Politico first reported news of Whatley's plans. While Lara Trump had been seen as having the right of first refusal in the North Carolina race due to her relationship with the president, Whatley is considered by national Republicans to be a strong contender, thanks partly to the large fundraising network he has cultivated as RNC chair and his perceived loyalty to Donald Trump. He is a well-known name in the state, having served as GOP chair there, and has no voting record that could be used against him by Democrats. The race is expected to be contentious in a state Trump carried by 3.2 percentage points in 2024. Democrats have been encouraging former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper, who is seen as a formidable candidate by both parties, to run. A Cooper adviser, Morgan Jackson, would not confirm on Wednesday that Cooper had made a decision to run, but said 'Cooper would be making his intentions known in the coming days.' First-term Rep. Pat Harrigan, a West Point graduate and former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan and later became a defense-products manufacturer, was also seen as a potential Republican candidate. Harrigan had previously said he would immediately back Lara Trump if she ran. He wrote that 'there's lots of excitement around the 2026 Senate race, but let me be crystal clear about something: if @LaraLeaTrump enters this race, I'll be the first to endorse her and the first to fight for her victory.'
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Why Canada's supply management is a sticking point for Trump in trade talks
The target date for a new trade deal between Canada and the United States is a little over a week away, but one issue continues to be a sticking point between both nations: Canada's supply management. Supply management, which Canada uses in the dairy, poultry and egg sectors, has been a frequent target of criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump throughout his threats of tariffs and claims that Canada is 'ripping us off.' Last month, while demanding Canada repeal its digital services tax, Trump said Canada was 'a very difficult Country to TRADE with,' claiming on his social media platform Truth Social that the country charges 'tariffs' of up to 400 per cent on dairy products. Canada uses a quota system that allows a set amount of some foreign dairy products into the country, and high tariffs only apply if countries try to exceed that allowed quota coming into Canada. Story continues below advertisement Canada's supply management system, which dates back to the 1970s, has restricted foreign access to the Canadian dairy market in order to protect domestic producers and set quality standards for products. Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed in the Liberal election platform that he will 'keep Canada's supply management off the table in any negotiations with the U.S.' So how does it work? What is supply management? The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) — which Trump re-negotiated to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his first term — narrowly expanded U.S. access to Canada's dairy market, which is protected under supply management rules. The rules, established in the 1970s, set production quotas for Canadian farmers, guarantee minimum prices, and maintain import and quality controls. Story continues below advertisement 'Producers have a licence to produce that's determined by their quota. Producers will only produce as much as the quota says they are allowed to produce or in fact to sell,' said Sven Anders, a resource economist at the University of Alberta. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Under CUSMA, the U.S. gets access to less than five per cent of the market. But the U.S. has launched multiple disputes claiming Canada is intentionally bottlenecking those U.S. imports through tariff rate quotas, which put limits on how many exporters qualify for the cheaper duties. The issue of supply management for farmers might end up being an issue both sides are unwilling to move on. For one, most Canadian politicians are staunchly in support of the policy. 'We saw during the leaders' debate that all of the leaders, specifically in French, said that supply management was a red line in any negotiations with the Trump administration over tariffs,' said Moshe Lander, an economist at Concordia University. 'It seems that they were willing to even accept tariffs and damage to the Canadian economy rather than put dairy and supply management on the table.' The policy is aimed at protecting Canadian dairy farmers from the much larger American dairy industry and keeping prices and supplies stable by controlling the amount of product available. Story continues below advertisement Anders said Canadian politicians are reluctant to alienate dairy farmers. 'They have a lot of political clout. So, if I was a politician in Ontario or Quebec, among my constituents would be many dairy farmers. I certainly would want to fight for them,' he said. That political influence is particularly strong in Quebec, one expert said. 'In 17 ridings provincially in Quebec, people under supply management are strong enough to change the outcome of the election,' said Vincent Geloso, senior economist at the Montreal Economic Institute. 'Having influence over 17 ridings makes you a very powerful interest group.' As Canada's premiers were meeting for a three-day summit in Ontario, Quebec Premier François Legault said supply management was a hard line in the U.S. trade negotiations for him. 'There's no question about negotiating the supply management for dairy and other products,' Legault told reporters. Lander said supporters of Canada's dairy industry see the policy as necessary to protect them from the much larger American dairy industry. 'Wisconsin alone produces more milk than Canada consumes in a year,' he said. He said small Canadian dairy farms would be unable to withstand the pressure of open competition from the U.S. Story continues below advertisement 'These farms would have to merge their way up into these mega farms like you see in Wisconsin or in Minnesota to try and remain competitive. That would push a lot of farmers off their traditional land,' he said. Dairy Farmers of Canada declined Global's request for comment. 1:51 U.S. may be looking to remove non-tariff barriers, report shows However, Trump and the Republicans have their own political calculus in pushing Canada on supply management, he said. 'In the midterm elections, which are next year, maintaining Wisconsin is going to be very important for the Republicans if they want to maintain control of the House (of Representatives). If you vocally support farmers, this is one way to maybe keep that base solidified,' he said. One prominent Canadian voice who is opposed to the present system of supply management is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said recently that she was considering 'creating our own Alberta version of supply and management, maybe as a pathway to a market system.' Story continues below advertisement 'We do not get our share of quota, I think we have 12 per cent of the population and we only get seven per cent of the quota,' she told reporters last week. One consequence of supply management is that Canadians end up paying more for dairy products, Anders said. 'There's plenty of research that says or that has documented that an average Canadian household pays several hundred dollars more in food in dairy product cost on an annual basis just because of supply management,' he said. However, the same system has also been credited with helping Canadian consumers avoid the price shocks seen by U.S. consumers over the past year, as egg prices south of the border soared. Trump's criticisms aren't historically abnormal for U.S. presidents, either. 'Biden and Obama both had objections to it and voiced it,' Lander said. 'The more I say I dislike it, and the more you insist you're not going to remove it, then the more that I can say I want my way on these other things. It could be that he (Trump) just sees it as a tactic, where the Democratic presidents who had opposed it in the past merely just saw it as an annoyance.' — with files from Global's Sean Boynton and Touria Izri
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Latest: Trump to visit Federal Reserve as feud with its chair continues
President Donald Trump is visiting the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington on Thursday, a week after indicating that Fed chair Jerome Powell's handling of an extensive renovation project on two Fed buildings could be grounds for firing. Trump has criticized Powell for months because the chair has kept the short-term interest rate the Fed controls at 4.3% this year after cutting it three times last year. Powell says the Fed wants to see how the economy responds to Trump's sweeping tariffs on imports, which Powell says could push up inflation. Powell's caution has infuriated Trump, who's demanded the Fed cut borrowing costs to spur the economy and reduce the interest rates the federal government pays on its debt. He's threatened to fire Powell, threatening the Fed's independence, which has long been supported by most economists and Wall Street investors. The Fed has been renovating its Washington headquarters and a neighboring building. With some of the construction occurring underground and as building materials have soared in price after inflation spiked in 2021 and 2022, the estimated cost has ballooned to about $2.5 billion from $1.9 billion. Here's the latest: RNC Chair Michael Whatley plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina That's according to two people familiar with his thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak on the record. President Trump, according to one of the people, asked him to make the run after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, mulled the seat. Politico first reported news of Whatley's plans. Democrats see North Carolina as their top pickup opportunity next year after Sen. Thom Tillis announced his surprise retirement after clashing with Trump. While Lara Trump had been seen as having the right of first refusal, Whatley is considered by national Republicans to be a strong contender for the seat, thanks, in part, to the large fundraising network he's cultivated as RNC chair and his perceived loyalty to the president. He's a well-known name in the state, having served as GOP chair there, and has no voting record that could be used against him by Democrats. — Jill Colvin Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland President Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. He'll be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the U.K. 'I'm not proud that he (has) Scottish heritage,' said Patricia Sloan, who says she stopped visiting the Turnberry resort on Scotland's west coast after Trump bought it in 2014. 'All countries have good and bad that come out of them, and if he's going to kind of wave the flag of having Scottish heritage, that's the bad part, I think.' Trump's schedule, according to the White House 3 p.m. ET — Trump will sign executive orders 4 p.m. — Trump will visit the Federal Reserve Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself The man charged with attempting to assassinate Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She didn't rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case. Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
